1. Technical Field
This invention relates to disposable containers such as cups or cartons having an integral sealing flap for sealing the container to eliminate the possibility of spillage of beverages, liquids, or other substances held within the container.
2. Related Art
Disposable containers such as cups and cartons for holding beverages have been available for many years. Such containers are commonly dispensed at fast food restaurants and convenience stores for serving beverages. Typically, these containers are sealed with a plastic lid that fits over a top opening of the container so as to close the container. These lids often include holes in which straws can be placed such that a user can drink a beverage in a cup from the straw as it protrudes through the lid and into the cup. Other types of lids used to seal or cover containers include a type of hinged panel that a user can pull back or push in so as to drink from a cup while the lid is still attached. Such lids are often used with hot beverages such as coffee or tea.
Over the years, various schemes have been suggested or adopted for ensuring a tighter or more secure fit for the lids described above. However, regardless of how loose or how tight such lids fit, they are prone to accidental or inadvertent removal. For example, if a container employing a removable plastic lid is dropped, squeezed too hard, or simply tipped over, the end result is often that the lid separates from the container, with the beverage or liquid held within the container winding up either on the ground, all over an unlucky user who had been holding the cup, or all over an innocent bystander.
The problem of dropping or knocking over cups and containers is especially common with very young children. Consequently, it is uncommon to see disposable cups with plastic lids, as described above, being used in a home with young children, as the foreseeable result of such use is often a rather large wet mess. Instead, in a home having young children, hard plastic beverage cups with screw-on lids having either a drinking spout or a hole for a straw are commonly used. However, such beverage cups are not disposable. Consequently, they require more work in that they are typically washed between uses. Further, if a lid is misplaced, they cups are of little use because of the likelihood of spillage by a young child.
Still other solutions have involved complex, and thus expensive, schemes for ensuring that lids placed on containers or cups are less likely to be inadvertently removed. However, because it is more difficult for such lids to be removed, it is also more difficult to put such lids on in the first place.
Another solution that has been used for sealing disposable containers for beverages, food or other substances involves a folding gable top. Typically, the container is filled with a beverage, food or other substance, and then the top of the container is folded together in a manner similar to that of a conventional paper milk carton. A small plastic clip or the like typically holds the top of the carton together so as to seal the carton. While this solution tends to be somewhat more secure than using a disposable plastic lid, as described above, it has several drawbacks. First, such containers tend to be more expensive to manufacture than a traditional cup or container because of the numerous folds required to create a gable top. Further, the clips that hold the top closed are rather small, and in some instances can be somewhat fragile. Consequently, if the clip is misplaced or damaged, there is no way to seal the container in order to prevent spills.
Therefore, in order to overcome the limitations of current disposable containers, what is needed is a container that can be securely sealed, after being filled with beverages, food or other substances, without relying on a removable lid. Further, once the seal is engaged, it should not be subject to inadvertent opening or removal such as by dropping or squeezing the container. Finally, the container should not rely on separate devices, such as clips, to hold the container closed or sealed.
The present invention involves a spill-proof disposable container, such as a cup or carton for holding beverages, food or other substances. This disposable container satisfies all of the foregoing needs. Specifically, the container is capable of being securely sealed without the need to employ removable lids, clips or other devices. Further, the seal employed by the disposable container of the present invention is not subject to inadvertent opening by either dropping or squeezing the disposable container. In addition, the disposable container can be easily and inexpensively manufactured from conventional materials such as, for example, paper, plastic, or a polymer or wax coated paper as is commonly used for disposable drinking vessels. Further, such materials are also used in one embodiment for producing an insulating embodiment of a disposable container for holding hot or cold liquids or other substances in accordance with the present invention. In addition, in one embodiment, the disposable container is reusable such that it is capable of being sealed, opened, and resealed a plurality of times. Finally, the disposable container of the present invention can be manufactured in any desired size to provide any desired storage volume when sealed.
A disposable container according to present invention is embodied in a thin-walled container having an integral sealing flap. Such containers include cups or other vessels for holding beverages, food or other substances. The disposable container preferably has a truncated conical shape. One example of such a shape is a typical beverage cup commonly dispensed at fast food restaurants and convenience stores. However, any shape or size of disposable container may be used, so long as the container is sealed in accordance with the present invention. For example, in one embodiment a container having a folding gable top with an integral sealing flap is used. Regardless of the shape or style of the container, once the container has been filled, it is closed by squeezing or folding the top of the container together. The container is then sealed by folding the integral sealing flap over one side of the top of the closed container. In one embodiment, the sealing flap is then secured using conventional adhesives, such as, for example, glue, rubber cement, or tape, that are integral to either or both the surface of the container, or the surface of the sealing flap. In addition, in one embodiment, the adhesive is reusable, so that the container may be opened, refilled, and then resealed. In another embodiment, the sealing flap includes a bendable member that is used to wrap around either edge of the top of the container after the sealing flap is folded over one side of the top of the container to secure the sealing flap in place. Further, because the volume of the container may be lessened by squeezing or folding the top of the container together, as described above, in one embodiment, a fill-line is included on either the interior or exterior surface of the container for alerting the user to a maximum volume for the sealed container.
As discussed above, unlike conventional containers using removable lids, disposable containers in accordance with the present invention are sealed either with adhesive or with a bendable member coupled to the sealing flap. Consequently, once sealed, such disposable containers invention are much less likely to be inadvertently opened, such as by squeezing, dropping, or knocking over the container, then are conventional containers using removable lids. Consequently, disposable containers according to the present invention can also provide a safety advantage over conventional containers by reducing or eliminating slippery puddles caused by inadvertent spills of beverages, food, or other substances contained within the disposable container. Similarly, because disposable containers according to the present invention can also be manufactured from insulating materials, hot liquids held within such containers are less likely to spill, for the aforementioned reasons, than is an identical liquid when held in a conventional container using a removable lid. Clearly, preventing the spillage of hot liquids results in a safety advantage over conventional disposable containers having removable lids by reducing the likelihood of burns or scalding when spilled hot liquid comes into contact with a victims skin.
Because the container is thin walled, as described above, it is preferably stackable, one container within the next, such as is typically seen with beverage cups in conventional dispensers. In fact, the containers may be sized to fit any type of conventional container dispenser. Consequently, such containers are useful for replacing existing beverage containers in places such as fast food restaurants, and convenience stores, as well as in dispensers for home use. This is especially true because as described above, disposable containers in accordance with the present invention do not use separate lids. Consequently, use of such containers serves to reduce both cost and storage space requirements by eliminating the need to supply lids with the containers.
In one embodiment of the disposable container invention of the present invention, the integral sealing flap extends above a primary side of the opening of the container. Consequently, as the container opening is pushed together, the sealing flap is folded over a secondary side of the opening and fixed in place in alternate embodiments using either adhesive or a bendable member coupled to the sealing flap, as described above, to securely seal the disposable container. When using this embodiment of the disposable container as a drinking cup, in a non-closed, non-sealed condition, a user typically drinks from the secondary side of the opening to prevent spillage because the rim of the secondary side is lower than the integral sealing flap extending from the primary side.
In a similar embodiment of the disposable container, the integral sealing flap is initially folded back against the exterior wall of the container below the primary side of the container opening. Assuming a round container opening, the integral sealing flap is locked into place by nature of the container geometry until the top of the container is pushed together, as described above. Once the top of the container is pushed together, the curved rim of the opening becomes straight, thereby allowing the integral sealing rim to be folded up and then over the secondary side of the opening, as described above. Finally, as described above, the sealing flap is then fixed in place in alternate embodiments using either adhesive or a bendable member coupled to the sealing flap, to securely seal the disposable container. Further, when using this embodiment of the disposable container as a drinking cup, in a non-closed, non-sealed condition, a user may drink from any side or portion of the container opening, because the entire rim of the container opening is at the same level.
In another embodiment of the disposable container, the upper portion of the exterior wall is perforated in at least two locations. Tearing the perforations results in a sealing flap on the primary side of the container opening, and an extra flap on the secondary side of the container opening. In operation, the extra flap is folded down into the interior of the opening of the container. Alternately, the extra flap is removed by tearing a perforation at the base of the extra flap. Either way, the container is then essentially in the same configuration as described above for the embodiment wherein the integral sealing flap extends above the primary side of the container. Thus, as described above, the container is closed by pushing together the primary and secondary sides of the container opening. The container is then sealed by folding the sealing flap over the secondary side of the opening and fixed in place using adhesive, as described above, to securely seal the disposable container. Further, when using this embodiment of the disposable container as a drinking cup, in a non-closed, non-sealed condition, prior to tearing the perforations, a user may drink from any side or portion of the container opening, because the entire rim of the container opening is at the same level.
Further, in an embodiment related to the embodiment wherein the extra flap is removed by tearing the perforation at the base of the flap, the extra flap contains printed information such as textual or graphical information, or both. Consequently, the extra flap containing printed information can be used as a removable game piece, coupon, advertising, etc., simply by tearing the perforation to remove the extra flap from the container.
Each embodiment of the disposable container may also include a frangible area in the exterior wall of the container near the opening. This frangible cover allows a straw or drinking tube to be placed through the exterior wall of the container once the container has been sealed as described above.
In a further embodiment, the disposable container includes an integral straw or drinking tube that protrudes through the exterior wall of the container. This integral straw preferably includes a flexible joint or elbow at the location where it protrudes through the exterior wall of the container. The integral straw can be used whether the disposable container has been sealed or not.
In a related embodiment, the disposable container includes an integral extensible straw or drinking tube. This straw is disposed within a guide tube affixed to the interior wall of container. The straw is manually extended by pulling on an upper end of the straw, which protrudes through an opening in the exterior wall of the container near the container opening. A snug fit between the guide tube and the straw ensures that the guide tube acts as an extension to the straw when the straw is extended. Consequently, when a user drinks from the extended straw, suction is maintained both in the straw and in the guide tube. In one embodiment, a recess in the exterior wall of the container near the opening allows user access to the upper end of the straw. One advantage of including the recess in the exterior wall of the container to provide access to the extensible straw is that the outer surface of the container does not have any protuberances when the straw is not extended. As a result, such containers are easily stackable, one container within the next, as described above. Further, in another embodiment, access to the upper end of the straw is covered with a frangible membrane. Consequently, the straw is not accessible until a user removes the membrane.
Further, in one embodiment, the disposable container is designed with a pouring spout. This pouring spout is accessible to a user whether or not the disposable container has been sealed. Further, the pouring spout is preferably recessed within the disposable container such that it does not protrude from the exterior wall of the container until it has been extended by a user. Further, in another embodiment, access to the pouring spout is covered with a frangible membrane. Consequently, the pouring spout is not accessible until a user removes the membrane.
In still another embodiment of the disposable container, a recess is disposed within the surface of the exterior wall of the container, or within the exterior of a bottom wall of the container. In either embodiment, this recess is used to contain a package for holding a single serving or portion of powdered or liquid drink mix, sweeteners, or any other desired compound. Such an embodiment is extremely useful in households having small children, especially when combined with one of the embodiments described above that include an integral straw. For example, where the contents of the package are a powdered drink mix, the user first removes the package from the recess. The user then opens the package and pours the contents into the container. Finally, the user adds water, or whatever other fluid is to be mixed with the contents of the package, and seals the container as described above. The result is an instant drink in a spill-proof container, having an integral straw. Such a combination is clearly ideal for small children. In another embodiment, access to the package is covered with a frangible membrane. Consequently, the package is not accessible until a user removes the membrane.
In a related embodiment, the package for holding a single serving or portion of powdered or liquid drink mix, sweeteners, or any other desired compound, as described above, may be one of the frangible membranes discussed above. Specifically, in the embodiment wherein the frangible membrane is used to cover access to the integral straw, the membrane also serves as the package, with one side of the package covering access to the integral straw. In this embodiment, removing the package to access the contents of the package also serves to provide access to the upper end of the integral straw as described above. Similarly, in the embodiment wherein the frangible membrane covers access to the integral pouring spout, the membrane again serves as the package, with one side of the package covering access to the integral pouring spout. In this embodiment, removing the package to access the contents of the package also serves to provide access to the integral pouring spout as described above.
Finally, in another embodiment, the disposable container includes a conventional scratch-off, rub-off, or peel-off label on the exterior surface of the container. Such removable labels are typically used for advertising or entertainment purposes.
The foregoing and still further features and advantages of the present invention as well as a more complete understanding thereof will be made apparent from a study of the following detailed description of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings and appended claims.